Time to raise the curtains

In preparation for the opening of "Cinderella," Pat Thompson places the finishing touches on a set piece Wednesday.

MICHAEL C. WEIMAR/The Gainesville Sun

By DAVE SCHLENKERSun entertainment editor

Published: Friday, March 24, 2006 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, March 23, 2006 at 11:22 p.m.

After 16 months of construction, two delays, a state-funding snag and a subcontractor shortage, the Vam York Theater is finally ready for its close-up.
The Gainesville Community Playhouse opens the musical "Cinderella" tonight in the $2 million facility that replaced the 77-year-old, rodent-infested, restroom-challenged building that had housed the volunteer theater company since 1961.
And just as Cinderella has a fairy godmother to thank for her renaissance, GCP has a community to thank: local arts patrons raised $750,000 for construction, including the $200,000 flagship donation from Gainesville's E.T. and Vam York.
The 9,400-square-foot theater built on GCP's existing site offers 210 seats, surround sound, an orchestra pit, a green room, separate dressing rooms, a catwalk, a fly system for backdrops, and spacious restrooms just for patrons.
GCP's Jerry Brewington, perhaps half-jokingly, calls the new restrooms the theater's "pride and joy." In the old building, there were always lines for the two single-stall facilities, which audience members shared with cast and crew members.
But tonight is much more than a celebration of restrooms. Tonight places another feather in Gainesville's cultural cap and, certainly, marks the biggest night in GCP's 79-year history, said Brewington and fellow board member Bob Garrigues amid the clatter of last-minute construction.
"For a town this size to have a facility like this is incredible," Brewington said.
A state-of-the-art community theater steps up Gainesville's arts scene, which also includes the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre and the professional Hippodrome State Theatre, noted Coni Gesualdi, Cultural Affairs manager for the city of Gainesville. "It gives the whole idea of community theater more glitz," she said.
There is still some work to be done on the Vam York Theater, which received its certificate of occupancy Thursday, one day before opening night and hours before a sneak preview. Workers laid sod Wednesday in the shadow of construction equipment.
"It's been crazy," said a visibly weary Brewington, a GCP board member, construction liaison and "Cinderella" co-director. "But it'll all be worth it (Friday night). The place still smells of paint, but that's OK. It doesn't smell any worse than the old theater."
That old building, which was razed in late 2004, offered 155 seats, roaming rodents and limited dressing-room space that forced many cast members to change costumes in a narrow hallway behind the stage.
GCP needed new digs, but the road to Cinderella's castle proved longer and bumpier than expected.
In 2003, GCP was a top contender for a state grant that would have added $360,200 to its new-building fund. But that same year, legislators slashed arts funding by $22 million statewide, quashing GCP's grant for the time being.
Meanwhile, the price of building materials rose. The board trudged on, amping up the capital campaign and, in 2004, receiving $169,000 from the state, Brewington said. GCP, operating out its temporary stage in a northwest Gainesville shopping center, pushed its grand opening to January.
Then came the hurricanes, which left subcontractors in short supply; GCP, as such, had to wait for welders to finish the catwalk, said Hannah Stahmer, who is co-directing "Cinderella."
That delay prompted a two-month snag in GCP's season, with "Cinderella" moving into the March slot originally slated for "Beauty and the Beast," which now will open in November as part of GCP's 2006-2007 season.
Construction crews and the "Cinderella" cast have been working feverishly to meet the latest deadline. Early production was without electricity and plumbing, and final rehearsals ran alongside workers and equipment. Brewington, a county planner by day, kept tabs on construction and rehearsals.
"We're tired," Brewington said Wednesday, crediting many others with the building's progress. "It's taken a lot of physical effort to get this done."
The dust and deadlines bring back memories for Mary Britt, executive director of the Ocala Civic Theatre and president of the American Association of Community Theater. In 1988, OCT moved from its tiny theater to a 400-seat, amenity-filled facility next to the Appleton Museum of Art.
OCT christened the new theater with "Hello, Dolly!," which opened before the theater's carpet was installed. So Britt knows what GCP is going through. But she also knows the potential payoff: OCT's budget and attendance tripled within a year after the new theater opened, she said.
"It sort of set a new standard for the organization," she said, noting the theater - much like GCP - suddenly had all the bells and whistles to bolster the company's technical and performance capabilities. "And we found that it introduced us to a new audience. It was an amazing growth opportunity."
Garrigues agrees there will be growth. With an $800,000 mortgage, he's banking on it, quite frankly. But he's not counting on the growth rate OCT experienced; Gainesville has a more competitive arts market than Ocala, he noted.
Today, however, the board is simply banking on Cinderella's carriage pulling into the gala on time. "It's been a challenge. I don't know if it's been fun," Brewington said. "The fun comes when the show goes up."

After 16 months of construction, two delays, a state-funding snag and a subcontractor shortage, the Vam York Theater is finally ready for its close-up.<BR>
The Gainesville Community Playhouse opens the musical "Cinderella" tonight in the $2 million facility that replaced the 77-year-old, rodent-infested, restroom-challenged building that had housed the volunteer theater company since 1961.<BR>
And just as Cinderella has a fairy godmother to thank for her renaissance, GCP has a community to thank: local arts patrons raised $750,000 for construction, including the $200,000 flagship donation from Gainesville's E.T. and Vam York.<BR>
The 9,400-square-foot theater built on GCP's existing site offers 210 seats, surround sound, an orchestra pit, a green room, separate dressing rooms, a catwalk, a fly system for backdrops, and spacious restrooms just for patrons.<BR>
GCP's Jerry Brewington, perhaps half-jokingly, calls the new restrooms the theater's "pride and joy." In the old building, there were always lines for the two single-stall facilities, which audience members shared with cast and crew members.<BR>
But tonight is much more than a celebration of restrooms. Tonight places another feather in Gainesville's cultural cap and, certainly, marks the biggest night in GCP's 79-year history, said Brewington and fellow board member Bob Garrigues amid the clatter of last-minute construction.<BR>
"For a town this size to have a facility like this is incredible," Brewington said.<BR>
A state-of-the-art community theater steps up Gainesville's arts scene, which also includes the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre and the professional Hippodrome State Theatre, noted Coni Gesualdi, Cultural Affairs manager for the city of Gainesville. "It gives the whole idea of community theater more glitz," she said.<BR>
There is still some work to be done on the Vam York Theater, which received its certificate of occupancy Thursday, one day before opening night and hours before a sneak preview. Workers laid sod Wednesday in the shadow of construction equipment.<BR>
"It's been crazy," said a visibly weary Brewington, a GCP board member, construction liaison and "Cinderella" co-director. "But it'll all be worth it (Friday night). The place still smells of paint, but that's OK. It doesn't smell any worse than the old theater."<BR>
That old building, which was razed in late 2004, offered 155 seats, roaming rodents and limited dressing-room space that forced many cast members to change costumes in a narrow hallway behind the stage.<BR>
GCP needed new digs, but the road to Cinderella's castle proved longer and bumpier than expected.<BR>
In 2003, GCP was a top contender for a state grant that would have added $360,200 to its new-building fund. But that same year, legislators slashed arts funding by $22 million statewide, quashing GCP's grant for the time being.<BR>
Meanwhile, the price of building materials rose. The board trudged on, amping up the capital campaign and, in 2004, receiving $169,000 from the state, Brewington said. GCP, operating out its temporary stage in a northwest Gainesville shopping center, pushed its grand opening to January.<BR>
Then came the hurricanes, which left subcontractors in short supply; GCP, as such, had to wait for welders to finish the catwalk, said Hannah Stahmer, who is co-directing "Cinderella."<BR>
That delay prompted a two-month snag in GCP's season, with "Cinderella" moving into the March slot originally slated for "Beauty and the Beast," which now will open in November as part of GCP's 2006-2007 season.<BR>
Construction crews and the "Cinderella" cast have been working feverishly to meet the latest deadline. Early production was without electricity and plumbing, and final rehearsals ran alongside workers and equipment. Brewington, a county planner by day, kept tabs on construction and rehearsals.<BR>
"We're tired," Brewington said Wednesday, crediting many others with the building's progress. "It's taken a lot of physical effort to get this done."<BR>
The dust and deadlines bring back memories for Mary Britt, executive director of the Ocala Civic Theatre and president of the American Association of Community Theater. In 1988, OCT moved from its tiny theater to a 400-seat, amenity-filled facility next to the Appleton Museum of Art.<BR>
OCT christened the new theater with "Hello, Dolly!," which opened before the theater's carpet was installed. So Britt knows what GCP is going through. But she also knows the potential payoff: OCT's budget and attendance tripled within a year after the new theater opened, she said.<BR>
"It sort of set a new standard for the organization," she said, noting the theater - much like GCP - suddenly had all the bells and whistles to bolster the company's technical and performance capabilities. "And we found that it introduced us to a new audience. It was an amazing growth opportunity."<BR>
Garrigues agrees there will be growth. With an $800,000 mortgage, he's banking on it, quite frankly. But he's not counting on the growth rate OCT experienced; Gainesville has a more competitive arts market than Ocala, he noted.<BR>
Today, however, the board is simply banking on Cinderella's carriage pulling into the gala on time. "It's been a challenge. I don't know if it's been fun," Brewington said. "The fun comes when the show goes up."<BR>